Announcement of entrepreneurs selected by Prêt à entreprendre, the program that supports tomorrow's business leaders

MONTREAL, Feb. 21, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Board of Trade of
Metropolitan Montreal and the Interregional Committee for the Prêt à
entreprendre program are pleased to announce the entrepreneurs selected
to receive support as tomorrow's business leaders: François Bergeron
and Tiberius Brastaviceanu from Tactus Scientific, and Guillaume
Lacroix, Loïc Frohn-Villeneuve and Manuel Théberge from Novothermic.

Robert Desbiens, chair of the Interregional Committee and Executive
Vice-President, Corporate Strategy, at R3D Consulting, congratulated
the entrepreneurs who distinguished themselves for their
entrepreneurial acumen, business model and innovative project.

Prêt à entreprendre offers comprehensive support to entrepreneurs in the
form of interest-free unsecured loans on trust of up to $30,000,
combined with mentorship and technical support. "It's an honour to be
able to give new business talent the chance to participate in this
initiative," Mr. Desbiens said. "Financial support and access to a
network of experts are invaluable, particularly at the beginning stages
of the entrepreneurial adventure."

This initiative, which is unique in the country, is made possible
through the contributions of the Ministère des Finances et de
l'Économie, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Desjardins
Group and Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins, the Fédération des
chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ), the Fondation de
l'entrepreneurship (FDE) and Quebecor. The total budget of $7 million
is financed by three of the project's partners, namely the Government
of Quebec ($4 million), the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
($1 million) and Desjardins Group ($2 million).

To implement the program, the FCCQ appointed the Board of Trade of
Metropolitan Montreal as an intermediary for program participants from
Montréal and Laval. "The Board of Trade's mission is to encourage and
promote entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial freedom and wealth creation
in the metropolitan area," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of
the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. "This program places a
vast network at the disposal of new entrepreneurs. The support from the
entire business community and the sharing of expertise are a further
guarantee of success for young entrepreneurs."

At the end of the program's five years, up to 300 of the most promising
entrepreneurs of all ages and from every region of Quebec will have
benefited from financing and high-calibre support from a team of
volunteer mentors.

About Prêt à entreprendreWith the aim of promoting local entrepreneurship, Prêt à entreprendre is
a support program for new entrepreneurs that encourages growth and
continuity among young businesses. The program offers support at
several levels: an interest-free, unsecured loan on trust of up to
$30,000, the guidance of a mentor and expert advisors and access to
vast networks of contacts.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan MontrealThe Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 7,000
members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business
community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants,
and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized
services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of
innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is
Quebec's leading private economic development organization.

About Info entrepreneursInfo entrepreneurs is a leader in the delivery of quality strategic
information on government programs and services directed to the
business community. It constitutes a privileged source of commercial
information, thus contributing to the economic growth of SMEs. Info
entrepreneurs is a service of the Government of Canada delivered by the
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Info entrepreneurs is part of
the Canada Business Network which comprises 13 major centres across
Canada.